A Father’s Instruction

1Heare (O ye children) the fatherly exortacio, & take good hede, that ye maye lerne wysdome.

2Yee I shal geue you a good rewarde, yf ye wil not forsake my lawe.

3For when I myself was my fathers deare sonne, and tenderly beloued of my mother,

4he taught me also, sayenge: let thine herte receaue my wordes, kepe my commaundementes, and thou shalt lyue.

5Get the wysdome, get the vnderstondinge, forget not ye wordes of my mouth, & shreke not from them.

6Forsake her not, and she shal preserue the: loue her, and she shal kepe the.

7The chefe poynte of wysdome is, that thou be wyllynge to opteyne wysdome, and before all thy goodes to get the vnderstondynge.

8Make moch of her, and she shal promote the: Yee yf thou embracest her, she shal brynge the vnto honoure.

9She shal make the a gracious heade, and garnish the with ye crowne of glory.

10Heare my sonne, and receaue my wordes, that the yeares of thy life maye be many.

11I wil shewe the ye waye of wysdome, and lede the in the right pathes.

12So that yf thou goest therin, there shal no straytnesse hynder the: and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.

13Take fast holde of doctryne, let her not go: kepe her, for she is thy life.

14Come not in the path of the vngodly, and walke not in the waye of the wicked.

15Eschue it, & go not therin: departe asyde, & passe ouer by it.

16For they can not slepe, excepte they haue first done some myschefe: nether take they eny rest, excepte they haue first done some harme.

17For they eate the bred of wickednesse, and drike the wyne of robbery.

18The path of the rightuous shyneth as the light, and is euer brighter & brighter vnto the parfecte daye.

19But ye waye of the vngodly is as the darcknesse, wherin me fall, or they be awarre.

20My sonne, marcke my wordes, and enclyne thine eare vnto my saynges.

21Let them not departe from thine eyes, kepe them euen in the myddest of thine herte.

22For they are life vnto all those that finde the, and health vnto all their bodies.

23Kepe thine hert with all diligence, for there vpon hangeth life.

24Put awaye from the a frowarde mouth, and let the lippes of slaunder be farre from the.

25Let thine eyes beholde the thinge yt is right, & let thine eye lyddes loke straight before the.

26Podre the path of thy fete, so shal all yi wayes be sure.

27Turne not asyde, nether to the right hande ner to the lefte, but witholde thy fote from euell.